POWER TRANSFORMER

INSPECTION AND
MAINTENANCE
ESSENTIAL
Presented by:

ENGR. IÑIGO V. ESCOPETE, JR., PEE

ITC LEVEL-2 CERTIFIED THERMOGRAPHER
PHIL-NCB NDT-UT LEVEL-2 CERTIFIED
POWER TRANSFORMER
Failure: They Happen

As you know, transformer failures can

results in catastrophic fires, creating
Significant treats to HEALTH, SAFETY
And ENVIRONMENT along the way – not
To mention the PUNISHING IMPACT on
BUSINESS CONTINUITY.
ON-LINE MAINTENANCE INSPECTION
1. Thermographic Inspection

Thermography is a non-destructive test

method that used to detect poor connections,
unbalanced load, deteriorated insulation or
other potential problems in energized electrical
components including power transformer.
What to look?
In oil-filled power transformer, monitor the following
External components.
• High and Low-voltage bushing connections – overheating
in a connection indicates high resistance and that the connections
s loose or dirty. Also compare phases, looking for unbalance and
overloading
• Radiators/Cooling tubes
• Cooling fans/pumps
2. Dissolved Gas Analysis
3. Check temperature Indicator

The winding temperature

indicator should be reading
approximately 15 degrees
above the top oil temperature. If
this is not the case, one
or both temperature indicators are
malfunctioning. High
temperature may mean
overloading, cooling problems,
winding problems, core, or
connection problems.
4. Check Oil Conservator

This gauge indicates oil level by displaying

A temperature. Compare the indicated tem-
perature on the conservator level gauge with
The top oil temperature indicator. They should be
Approximately the same.

Calibrate or replace the conservator oil level

If needed.

If atmospheric gases (nitrogen, oxygen, CO2) and

perhaps moisture increase suddenly in the DGA,
a leak may have developed in the conservator
diaphragm or bladder
5. Check Conservator Breather

Check the dehydrating (desiccant)

breather for proper oil level if it is
An oil type unit. Check the color of the
desiccant and replace it when approximately
one-third remains of the proper color.

Notice the pink desiccant at the bottom of the

blue indicating that this portion is water saturated.
Notice also that oil is visible in the very bottom
1-inch or so of the unit. Many times, the oil is
Clear, and the oil level will not be readily
apparent
6. Check Nitrogen system

If the transformer has a nitrogen blanket, check

the pressure gauge for proper pressure. Look for
the operators recording of pressures from the
Pressure gauge. If does not change, the gauge is
probably defective.

Check for any increased usage of nitrogen which

indicates a leak. Smaller transformers such as station
service may not have nitrogen bottles attached to
replace lost nitrogen

A nitrogen leak can develop and all the N2 will be

lost. This allows air with oxygen and moisture to
enter and deteriorate the oil and insulation. Watch
for increased oxygen and moisture in DGA.

An ultrasonic and sonic leak detection instruments

are usually used for locating N2 leaks.
7. Check for Oil Leaks

Oil leak is very dangerous, especially if not

spotted on time. What should maintenance
people would do? They should check the entire
transformer for oil leaks. Leaks usually develop
due to gasket wearing out. Ultraviolet exposure,
or from expansion or contraction, especially after
transformer have cooled, due to thermal shrinkage
of gaskets and flanges.

Leaks can be repaired by applying an epoxy or other

Patch. Flange leaks may be stopped with these methods
Using rubberized epoxy forced into the flange under
Pressure.

Small leaks in welds and tanks may be stopped by

Peening with a ball-peen hammer, cleaning with the
Proper solvent, and applying a “patch” of the correct
epoxy
8. Check Pressure relief Device

Figure shows a pressure relief device

With the yellow indicating arm. With the
Transformer under clearance, check the
Pressure relief device indicating arm on
Top of the transformer to see if has operated.

If it has operated, the arm will be in the up

(vertical) position, and a trip alarm and shutdown
relays should be activated.

Caution: Do not re-energize a transformer after this

Device has been operated and relays have de-energized
the transformer, until extensive testing to determine
and correct the cause has been carried out.

Explosive, catastrophic failure could be the result of

energization after this device has operated.
9. Check Oil Pumps

If the case of transformer that has

Oil pump(s), maintenance staff must
check flow indicators and pump
isolation valves to ensure oil is circulating
properly.

It might even happen that the pump motor

have reversed rotation and flow indicators
may still show that oil is flowing. To prevent
this dangerous situation and ensure that motors
are turning in the proper direction, use an ammeter
To check the motor current.

Compare results with the full-load current indicated

on the motor nameplate. If the motor is reversed
the current will be less than the nameplate
full load current.
10. Check Fans and Radiators

Maintenance staff must check and test all isolation

valves at the top and bottoms of radiators to ensure
they are open. Inspect cooling fans and radiators for
cleaning and fans for proper rotation. Checking for dirty
or damaged fan blades or partially blocked radiator is
obligatory.

You should know that fans are much, much more efficient
if the blades are clean and rotating in cool air. It’s worth
mention that fans should blow cool air through the radiators
and they not be pulling air through.

Air should be coming out of the radiator against your hand.

11. Check Buchholz Relay
Inspect the isolation valve on the Buchholz relay to ensure
it is open. When the transformer is offline and under clearance
examine the Buchholz relay by lifting the window cover.

How it works? If there is gas inside, the oil will be displaced, and
the gas will be evident as a space on top the oil. If sufficient gas is
found to displace the upper float, the alarm should be activated.
the small valve at the top left is to bleed the gas off and reset the
relay.

If the transformer has been online some time (service aged), and gas
is found in the Buchholz, oil samples must be sent to the lab for DGA
for extensive testing. Consult with the manufacturer or other transformer
experts.

A definite cause of the gas bubbles must be determined and corrected

before re-energization of the transformer.
12. Check Sudden Pressure Relay
The purpose of this relay is to alarm if there is
a sudden pressure rise inside the tank. This relay
is very sensitive and will operate if the pressure
rises only a little.

If a very small pressure change occurs caused by a

small electrical fault inside the tank, ,this relay will
alarm. In contrast, the pressure relief device (Buchholz
Relay) operates if a large pressure builds inside the tank
caused by heavy arcing and heating causing the oil to
boil and bubble.

Inspect the isolation valve to ensure it is open. With

https://youtu.be/wZby17mlQmw the transformer offline and under clearance, functionally
test the sudden pressure relay by slowly closing the isolating
valve. Leave it closed for a few seconds and reopen the valve
suddenly.

This should activate the alarm. If the alarm does not activate,
test the relay and replace it with new one if it fails to function.
OFF-LINE (DE-ENERGIZED) MAINTENANCE
INSPECTION
1. Insulation Resistance Test – IEEE Standard no.43
R – Vt + 1, R = kV + 1
R= Recommended minimum resistance at 40oC
Vt = rated machine terminal to terminal potential, in rms kilovolts
2. Polarization Index – The steepness of the dielectric absorption curve taken
At a given temperature indicates the relative dryness of the insulation at a
constant voltage
Polarization Index = R10/R1
Values should be 1.3 -1.6 for 60/30 second ratio and 2-4 for 10/1 minute ratio
3.Insulation Power Factor Test – The purpose of this test is to determine the
state of dryness of the winding and insulation system and to determine a power
factor for the overall insulation, including bushing, oil and winding.
The power Factor should not exceed 0.5% at 20oC.

4. Winding resistance test – To check for the loose connection, broken strands,
and high contact resistance in the winding and in the tap changer.
Result are compared to other phases in wye connection or between pairs of
terminal on delta connected winding to determine if a resistance is to high.
Value of 5% of any of the above comparison is consider satisfactory.

5. Transformer Turn Ratio (TTR) – TTR detects shorted turns which indicates
insulation failures by determining if the correct turns ratio exist. Shorted turns
may result from short circuit or dielectric (insulation) failure.
The ratio obtained from the field test should conform with the factory data,
within 0.5%’
New transformer of good quality normally within 0.1%